CN112492420B

CN112492420B - Sound output device

Info

Publication number: CN112492420B
Application number: CN202011318752.4A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 高桥国人; 佐藤明善; 冈见威
Original assignee: Yamaha Corp
Current assignee: Yamaha Corp
Priority date: 2015-08-04
Filing date: 2016-02-08
Publication date: 2023-04-04
Anticipated expiration: 2036-02-08
Also published as: CN112492420A; JP6424963B2; US10820076B2; JPWO2017022254A1; US20180139523A1; WO2017022254A1; US20210168478A1; US20200366980A1; US10958998B2; CN107925805A; CN107925805B; US11375304B2

Abstract

The present invention discloses a sound output device that is attachable to an object including a first opening allowing sound to be emitted and includes: a speaker unit having a sound emitting portion; an attachment member by which the speaker unit is attached to the object; and at least one partition member that includes a spring constituting a vibration absorbing the speaker unit and is disposed between the speaker unit and the attachment member so as to partition the speaker unit from the attachment member, wherein the attachment member has a first portion on a sound-emitting portion side, the first portion of the attachment member has a second opening corresponding to the sound-emitting portion, one end of the at least one partition member is attached to the speaker unit, and the other end of the at least one partition member is attached to the attachment member, and the first portion of the attachment member is configured to be attached to an object, and in a state where the sound output device is attached to the object, the second opening is aligned with the first opening to allow sound to be emitted to the outside of the object through the second opening and the first opening in this order.

Description

Sound output device

The application is a divisional application of an invention patent application with the invention number of 201680045609.8, which is filed on 2/2018 and is named as a sound output device.

Technical Field

The present invention relates to a technique relating to a sound output device.

Background

For example, in a system that assists in hands-free calling in an automobile, a speaker having a built-in speaker unit and a microphone is directly attached to an automobile interior (for example, patent document 1).

Documents of the prior art

Patent document

Patent document 1

Disclosure of Invention

Problems to be solved by the invention

However, according to the technology described in the patent document, since the speaker is directly attached to the automobile interior, when the user makes a handsfree call, the vibration generated by the speaker attached to the automobile interior in turn vibrates the interior, thereby generating noise in some cases.

The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide a sound output device: which can reduce the vibration of the interior due to the vibration generated from the speaker.

Means for solving the problems

In order to achieve the above object, a sound output device according to a first aspect of the present invention includes: a speaker unit having a sound emitting portion; an attachment member that attaches the speaker unit to an object; a partition member provided between the speaker unit and the attachment member to partition the speaker unit from the attachment member; and a sealing member provided between the speaker unit and the attachment member to reduce sound emitted from a side of the speaker unit opposite to the sound-emitting portion and transmitted to the sound-emitting portion side. The attachment member has a first portion on the sound emitting portion side of the speaker unit, and the first portion of the attachment member has an opening corresponding to the sound emitting portion.

A sound output device according to a second aspect of the present invention includes: a speaker unit having a sound emitting portion; an attachment member that attaches the speaker unit to an object; and a separation member provided between the speaker unit and the attachment member to separate the speaker unit from the attachment member. The partition member reduces sound emitted from a side of the speaker unit opposite to the sound emitting portion and transmitted to the sound emitting portion side. The attachment member has a first portion on the sound emitting portion side of the speaker unit, and the first portion of the attachment member has an opening corresponding to the sound emitting portion.

A sound output apparatus according to a third aspect of the present invention includes: a cabinet accommodating a speaker unit having a sound emitting portion; an attachment member that attaches the chassis to an object; and a partition member provided between the case and the attachment member to partition the case from the attachment member. The cabinet has a first portion on the sound emission portion side of the speaker unit, the attachment member has a first portion on the sound emission portion side of the speaker unit, and the first portion of the cabinet and the first portion of the attachment member have openings corresponding to the sound emission portions, respectively.

In any configuration of the sound output apparatus according to the first to third aspects, when sound is emitted from the speaker unit, vibration generated by the speaker unit is absorbed by the partition member. Therefore, in the case where the sound output device is attached to, for example, an automobile interior, vibration (vibration transmitted from the speaker unit) transmitted to the automobile interior (i.e., transmitted from the sound output device to the outside) via the attachment member is reduced, so that noise generated by the vibration is reduced.

In a mode of the third aspect of the invention, the attachment member has a second portion provided on a side opposite to the sound-emitting portion of the speaker unit (a rear side of the speaker unit), and the second portion of the attachment member may have an opening. The attachment member may have a third portion on the side of the side wall of the speaker unit, and the attachment member may have an opening in the third portion instead of or in addition to the opening in the second portion. In this mode, an opening is provided in at least one of the second portion and the third portion of the attachment member. As a result, even in the case where the cabinet accommodating the speaker unit is deformed due to the generation of sound, the pressure in the hollow portion between the cabinet and the attachment member does not increase. Therefore, unnecessary deformation in the attachment member can be minimized.

In a mode of the third aspect of the invention, the partition member is disposed between the first portion of the chassis and the first portion of the attachment member. In this mode, since the partition member is disposed on the same side as the sound emitting portion of the speaker unit, vibration transmitted from the speaker unit is effectively reduced.

In the mode of the third aspect of the invention, the partition member is a spring member, and the sound output apparatus may further include another spring member provided between the housing and the attachment member, the other spring member having a larger spring constant than the spring member. In this mode, even when excessive acceleration is applied to the housing, a collision caused by vibration between the housing and the attachment member can be suppressed.

In the mode of the third aspect of the invention, the partition member may be a nonlinear spring member having a spring constant that increases with an increase in load. In this mode, when excessive acceleration is applied to the case, the spring constant will increase before the case collides with the attachment member. Therefore, collision between the housing and the attachment member can be suppressed.

In the mode of the third aspect of the invention, the housing does not need an opening other than the opening in the first portion. In another mode, the cabinet may have a second portion disposed at a side opposite to the sound-emitting portion of the speaker unit, and the second portion of the cabinet may have an opening. In still another mode, the cabinet need not have a portion disposed on the opposite side to the sound-emitting portion of the speaker unit (the cabinet need not have a second portion).

In a mode of the third aspect of the invention, neither the length of the housing nor the length of the attachment member is larger than the length of the speaker unit in the center axis direction of the speaker unit. In this mode, the sound output device may have the same length as the speaker unit in the central axis direction of the speaker unit. Therefore, the sound output device according to this mode is reduced in size as compared with a sound output device having a longer housing or attachment member than the speaker unit, assuming that the lengths of the speaker units of these sound output devices are the same.

In a mode of the third aspect of the invention, the cabinet may have a second portion provided on a side opposite to the sound emitting portion of the speaker unit (a rear side of the speaker unit), the attachment member may have a second portion provided on a side opposite to the sound emitting portion of the speaker unit, and the partition member may be disposed between the second portion of the cabinet and the second portion of the attachment member. In another mode, the cabinet may have a third portion on a side wall side of the speaker unit, the attachment member may have a second portion provided on a side opposite to the sound-emitting portion of the speaker unit, and the partition member may be disposed between the third portion of the cabinet and the second portion of the attachment member.

In a mode of the third aspect of the present invention, the sound output apparatus may further include a seal member that reduces transmission of sound, wherein the seal member is provided between the first portion of the housing and the first portion of the attachment member. In this mode, the sound emitted from the side opposite to the sound emitting portion of the speaker unit (from the rear of the speaker unit), passing through the space between the housing and the attachment member, and then emitted to the sound emitting portion side of the speaker unit is reduced. In other words, the backwinding (sniffing) of the sound emitted from the rear to the front of the speaker unit is reduced.

Drawings

Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing a schematic configuration of a sound output device 1 according to a first embodiment.

Fig. 2A is a schematic diagram of the back of the sound output device 1 according to the first embodiment.

Fig. 2B is a schematic diagram of the left side of the audio output device 1.

Fig. 2C is a schematic diagram of the top of the sound output device 1.

Fig. 2D is a schematic diagram of the right side of the audio output device 1.

Fig. 2E is a schematic diagram of the front part of the sound output device 1.

Fig. 2F is a schematic view of the bottom of the sound output device 1.

Fig. 3A is a schematic view of the back of the speaker 3 according to the first embodiment.

Fig. 3B is a schematic diagram of the left side of the speaker 3.

Fig. 3C is a schematic view of the top of the speaker 3.

Fig. 3D is a schematic diagram of the right side of the speaker 3.

Fig. 3E is a schematic view of the front of the speaker 3.

Fig. 3F is a schematic view of the bottom of the speaker 3.

Fig. 4 is a perspective view showing a schematic configuration of the speaker 3 according to the first embodiment.

Fig. 5A is a diagram showing the front plate of the outer box 2 viewed from the rear plate side.

Fig. 5B isbase:Sub>A cross-sectional view taken along linebase:Sub>A-base:Sub>A shown in fig. 2C.

Fig. 5C is a diagram showing the rear plate of the outer box 2 viewed from the front plate side.

Fig. 6 is an exploded view of the view shown in fig. 5B.

Fig. 7A is a schematic diagram of the sound output apparatus 1 according to the first embodiment.

Fig. 7B is another schematic diagram of the sound output apparatus 1 according to the first embodiment.

Fig. 8A is a schematic diagram of the sound output device 1 according to the modification mode 1.

Fig. 8B is another schematic diagram of the sound output device 1 according to modification mode 1.

Fig. 9A is a schematic diagram of the sound output device 1 according to the modification mode 2.

Fig. 9B is another schematic diagram of the sound output device 1 according to the modification mode 2.

Fig. 10 is a diagram showing an analysis model of the sound output apparatus 1 in the second embodiment.

Fig. 11 shows an equivalent circuit of the analysis model shown in fig. 10.

Fig. 12A is an exploded view of a sectional view of the sound output apparatus 1 according to the third embodiment.

Fig. 12B is a sectional view of the sound output apparatus 1 according to the third embodiment.

Fig. 13 is a schematic front view of the sound output apparatus 1 according to the fourth embodiment.

Fig. 14 is a schematic diagram of a sound output apparatus 1 according to the fourth embodiment.

Fig. 15 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of the sound output device 1 according to the modification mode 1.

Fig. 16 is a schematic diagram of the sound output device 1 according to modification mode 2.

Fig. 17 is a schematic diagram of the sound output device 1 according to modification mode 3.

Detailed Description

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention are described with reference to the drawings.

First embodiment

Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing a schematic configuration of a sound output device 1 according to a first embodiment. Fig. 2A to 2F show a schematic configuration of the sound output device 1 according to the first embodiment. With respect to the sound output apparatus 1, fig. 2A shows a rear view, fig. 2B shows a left view, fig. 2C shows a top view, fig. 2D shows a right view, fig. 2E shows a front view, and fig. 2F shows a bottom view. As shown in these drawings, the sound output apparatus 1 includes an outer case 2 (attachment member), a speaker 3, and a microphone 4. The speaker 3 includes: a speaker unit 30 having a sound emitting portion 30a; and an inner case 32 (cabinet) that accommodates the speaker unit 30 (the detailed configuration of the speaker 3 will be described later). The speaker unit 30 emits a sound according to the supplied audio signal. The sound emitting portion 30a is a portion (for example, a diaphragm) of the speaker unit 30 that vibrates according to an audio signal to generate sound.

As shown in these drawings, an X-Y plane (hereinafter, may be referred to as a sound emission surface) including the edge of the sound emission portion 30a of the speaker unit 30, and a Z axis perpendicular to the X-Y plane are assumed. The Z-axis direction corresponds to the central axis direction of the speaker unit 30. A rear portion 30b of the speaker unit 30 on the opposite side to the sound emitting portion 30a is located on the positive side in the Z-axis direction (Z-axis positive side) with respect to the sound emitting portion 30 a. The portion of the speaker unit 30 other than the sound-emitting portion 30a and the rear portion 30b is referred to as a side wall 30c of the speaker unit 30.

The outer case 2 has a front panel 2a, a back panel 2b, and a plurality of (four) side panels 2c. The front plate 2a, the back plate 2b, and the side plates 2c are each a substantially rectangular plate-like member. Four side plates 2c are arranged between the front plate 2a and the rear plate 2b opposed to each other, and along the side edges of the front plate 2a and the side edges of the rear plate 2b to form the hollow rectangular parallelepiped outer box 2. The front plate 2a and the rear plate 2b are parallel to the sound emission surface, and the side plate 2c is parallel to the Z axis. The front plate 2a is located on the negative side in the Z-axis direction (Z-axis negative side) with respect to the back plate 2 b. The front plate 2a (first part of the attaching member) is disposed on the sound-emitting portion 30a side of the speaker unit 30. In the front plate 2a, an opening 20 is formed to expose the sound emitting portion 30a of the speaker unit 30 and to correspond to the shape of the sound emitting portion 30 a. The rear plate 2b (second portion of the attachment member) is disposed on the rear 30b side of the speaker unit 30. In the back plate 2b, an opening 22 is formed to expose a part of the back portion 32b of the inner box 32 and to correspond to the shape of the back portion 32 b. The side plate 2c (third portion of the attaching member) is provided on the side wall 30c side of the speaker unit 30. A plurality of openings 21 are formed in the side plate 2c.

A recess 23 is formed on an outer surface (a surface opposite to the surface on the back plate 2b side) of the front plate 2a of the outer box 2, and the microphone 4 is placed in the recess 23. The microphone 4 is, for example, a MEMS (micro electro mechanical system) microphone. The sound output device 1 does not necessarily include the microphone 4 in the present embodiment.

The sound output device 1 is attached to an arbitrarily selected object such as an automobile interior. More specifically, the sound output device 1 is attached to the automobile interior so that the outer surface of the front plate 2a (the plate formed with the opening 20) of the outer box 2 faces the back side of the automobile interior. Thus, the sound emitting portion 30a of the speaker unit 30 faces the inside of the automobile. In other words, the outer case 2 serves as an attachment member for attaching the inner case 32 to an object. The object to which the inner box 32 is attached may be, for example, a ceiling (e.g., a portion near an interior light and/or a map light), an instrument panel, or a door of an automobile interior.

In the present embodiment and the following embodiments, it is assumed that the outer case 2 has a plurality of plates (a front plate 2a, a rear plate 2b, and side plates 2 c) formed separately. However, some parts of the outer case 2 (e.g., the front panel 2a and the side panel 2 c) may be formed in one body.

Fig. 3A to 3F show a schematic configuration of the speaker 3 in the first embodiment. For the loudspeaker 3, fig. 3A shows a rear view, fig. 3B shows a left view, fig. 3C shows a top view, fig. 3D shows a right view, fig. 3E shows a front view and fig. 3F shows a bottom view. Fig. 4 is a perspective view showing a schematic configuration of the speaker 3 in the first embodiment. As shown in these drawings, the speaker 3 includes a speaker unit 30 and an inner case 32 (cabinet) accommodating the speaker unit 30.

Fig. 7A is a schematic diagram showing an example of a cross section of the sound output device 1 when the sound output device 1 is viewed from the positive Y-axis side. As can be understood from fig. 7A, the inner case 32 has a box-shaped portion and a cylindrical portion that protrudes from the box-shaped portion toward the positive Z-axis direction (positive side in the Z-axis direction or positive Z-axis side). The speaker unit 30 is disposed inside the inner case 32, and spans from the box-shaped portion to the cylindrical portion. The inner box 32 has a front 32a, a back 32b, and sides 32c. The front portion 32a is a portion on the sound emitting portion 30a side of the speaker unit 30; namely, the box-like portion is on the side of the sound emitting portion 30 a. The back 32b is a portion on the rear 30b side of the speaker unit 30. The back portion 32b includes a box-shaped portion on the rear portion 30b side and a cylindrical portion. The side portion 32c is a portion on the side of the side wall 30c of the speaker unit 30 except for the front portion 32a and the back portion 32 b. That is, the side portion 32c is a side portion of the box-like portion. Each of a portion of the box-shaped portion on the sound-emitting portion 30a side and a portion of the box-shaped portion on the rear portion 30b side is parallel to the sound-emitting surface, and side portions of the box-shaped portion are parallel to the center axis of the speaker unit 30.

The outer surface (surface on the Z-axis negative side) of the front portion 32a of the inner case 32 is arranged on substantially the same plane as the sound emission surface. The outer surface (surface on the Z-axis positive side) of the bottom of the cylindrical portion of the back portion 32b of the inner box 32 and the outer surface (surface on the Z-axis positive side) of the back plate 2b of the outer box 2 are arranged on substantially the same plane. The front portion 32a of the inner box 32 is disposed on the Z-axis positive side with respect to the front plate 2a of the outer box 2. A portion of the back portion 32b of the inner box 32 on the rear portion 30b side of the box-shaped portion is disposed on the Z-axis negative side with respect to the back plate 2b of the outer box 2.

As shown in fig. 3A to 3F and fig. 4, holding portions 33 each having, for example, a convex shape are formed on four corners of the outer surface of the front portion 32a of the inner box 32 (the surface facing the front plate 2a of the outer box 2). Holding portions 34 each having, for example, a convex shape are formed on four corners of an outer surface of the back portion 32b of the inner box 32 (a surface facing the back plate 2b of the outer box 2). That is, the holding portions 34 are formed on the four corners of the outer surface of the portion of the box-shaped portion of the inner box 32 on the rear portion 30b side. As shown in fig. 3C, an opening 35 is formed in the front portion 32a (first portion of the cabinet) of the inner case 32 to expose the sound-emitting portion 30a of the speaker unit 30 and to correspond to the shape of the sound-emitting portion 30 a.

The respective portions (the front portion 32a, the back portion 32b, and the side portion 32 c) of the inner box 32 may be separately formed and then assembled, or some portions (for example, the front portion 32a and the side portion 32 c) of the inner box 32 may be integrally formed.

Fig. 5A is a diagram showing an inner surface (surface on the inner box 32 side) of the front plate 2a of the outer box 2. Fig. 5C is a diagram showing the inner surface of the back plate 2b of the outer box 2 (the surface on the box-shaped portion side of the inner box 32). As shown in these drawings, holding portions 24 each having, for example, a recessed shape are formed on four corners of the inner surface of the front plate 2a, and holding portions 25 each having, for example, a recessed shape are formed on four corners of the inner surface of the back plate 2 b. Fig. 5B isbase:Sub>A sectional view taken along the linebase:Sub>A-base:Sub>A shown in fig. 2C, as viewed from the positive Y-axis side. Fig. 6 is an exploded view of the cross-section shown in fig. 5B in the Z-axis.

As shown in fig. 5B and 6, a vibration damper 50 (partition member) is disposed between the holding portion 33 and the holding portion 24, wherein the holding portion 33 is formed on the outer surface of the front portion 32a of the inner cabinet 32 of the speaker 3, and the holding portion 24 is formed on the inner surface of the front plate 2a of the outer cabinet 2. In addition, a vibration damper 51 (a partition member) is disposed between the holding portion 34 and the holding portion 25, wherein the holding portion 34 is formed on the outer surface of the back portion 32b of the inner case 32 (more precisely, the portion of the box-shaped portion of the inner case 32 on the rear portion 30b side), and the holding portion 25 is formed on the inner surface of the back plate 2b of the outer case 2. The

vibration dampers

50 and 51 are components: which is disposed between the inner case 32 and the outer case 2 so as to separate the inner case 32 from the outer case 2 to absorb vibration of the speaker 3. Hereinafter, the description of the holding portions (24, 25, 33, and 34) may be omitted for the sake of brevity. For example, the description that "the vibration damper 50 (or 51) is disposed between the front plate 2a (or the back plate 2 b) of the outer case 2 and the front portion 32a (or the back portion 32 b) of the inner case 32" means "the vibration damper 50 (or 51) is disposed between the holding portion 24 (or 25) on the outer case 2 and the holding portion 33 (or 34) on the inner case 32".

As shown in fig. 5A and 5B, inside the enclosure 2, a signal processing IC60 may be provided, the signal processing IC60 performing sound processing on the audio signal supplied to the speaker unit 30, such processing including amplifying the audio signal or adding sound effects to the audio signal.

As shown in fig. 7A, the vibration damper 50 is disposed between the front plate 2a of the outer box 2 and the front portion 32a of the inner box 32. Therefore, the front portion 32a of the inner case 32 and the sound emitting portion 30a are disposed behind the front plate 2a of the outer case 2. The vibration damper 51 is disposed between the back portion 32b of the inner case 32 (more precisely, a box-shaped portion corresponding to the back portion 32 b) and the back plate 2b of the outer case 2. Therefore, in fig. 7A, the length d1 of the outer case 2 in the central axis direction (Z-axis direction) of the speaker unit 30 is larger than the length d3 of the speaker unit 30. More specifically, in the center axis direction of the speaker unit 30, the front plate 2a of the outer box 2 is on the Z-axis negative side with respect to the sound-emitting portion 30a, and the rear plate 2b of the outer box 2 is on the Z-axis positive side with respect to the rear portion 30b of the speaker unit 30. The length d2 of the inner case 32 is greater than the length d3 of the speaker unit 30. More specifically, in the center axis direction of the speaker unit 30, the outer surface of the front portion 32a of the inner case 32 is on substantially the same plane as the sound emission surface, and the bottom of the cylindrical portion of the back portion 32b of the inner case 32 is located on the Z-axis positive side with respect to the rear portion 30b of the speaker unit 30.

The sound output device 1 is attached to an object 7 (for example, an automobile interior) with the outer case 2 serving as an attachment member. In fig. 7A, for the sake of brevity, only a part of the object 7 to which the sound output apparatus 1 is attached is shown, and diagrams of the holding portions (24, 25, 33, and 34), the microphone 4, the signal processing IC60, and the like are omitted. This simplified diagram also applies to fig. 7B to 9B.

Fig. 7A schematically shows an exemplary configuration of the sound output apparatus 1. The sound output device 1 according to the first embodiment is not limited to the configuration shown in fig. 7A. Fig. 7B schematically shows another exemplary configuration of the sound output device 1 according to the first embodiment. In the example shown in fig. 7B, the inner case 32 has, in addition to the box-shaped portion and the first cylindrical portion protruding from the box-shaped portion toward the Z-axis positive direction, a second cylindrical portion protruding from the box-shaped portion toward the Z-axis negative direction (negative side in the Z-axis direction or Z-axis negative side) on the sound-emitting portion 30a side of the speaker unit 30. Here, the second cylindrical portion is regarded as a part of the front portion 32a of the inner case 32. The speaker unit 30 is disposed inside the inner case 32, and spans from the second cylindrical portion to the first cylindrical portion through the box-shaped portion. The speaker unit 30 is disposed such that the sound emission surface is located on substantially the same plane as the outer surface of the front plate 2a of the outer box 2. In this example, as in the case of the exemplary configuration shown in fig. 7A, the vibration damper 50 is disposed between the front plate 2a of the outer box 2 and the front portion 32a of the inner box 32 (more precisely, the box-shaped portion corresponding to the front portion 32 a), and the vibration damper 51 is disposed between the back plate 2b of the outer box 2 and the back portion 32b of the inner box 32 (more precisely, the box-shaped portion corresponding to the back portion 32 b). However, in the example shown in fig. 7B, the sound output device 1 is configured such that the length d2 of the inner box 32 is substantially equal to the length d1 of the outer box 2. More specifically, the outer surface of the front plate 2a of the outer box 2 is substantially flush with the upper end surface of the second cylindrical portion of the front portion 32a of the inner box 32. The outer surface of the back plate 2b of the outer box 2 is substantially flush with the outer surface of the bottom of the first cylindrical portion of the back 32b of the inner box 32.

In the present embodiment, the

vibration dampers

50 and 51 are provided on the front portion 32a side and the back portion 32b side of the inner box 32, respectively. However, the vibration damper 50 may be provided only on the front portion 32a side of the inner case 32, or the vibration damper 51 may be provided only on the back portion 32b side of the inner case 32. In the case where the vibration damper 51 is provided only on the back portion 32b side of the inner box 32, a predetermined space may be provided between the front portion 32a of the inner box 32 and the front plate 2a of the outer box 2.

In the present embodiment, a coil spring member is used as an example of the

vibration damper

50 or 51. One end of the vibration damper 50 is attached to the holding portion 33 formed on the front portion 32a of the inner case 32, and the other end of the vibration damper 50 is attached to the holding portion 24 formed on the front plate 2a of the outer case 2. One end of the vibration damper 51 is attached to the holding portion 34 formed on the back portion 32b of the inner case 32, and the other end of the vibration damper 51 is attached to the holding portion 25 formed on the back plate 2b of the outer case 2. More specifically, a convex portion such as the convex holding portion 33 (or 34) is inserted into one end of the spring member, and the other end of the spring member is inserted into a corresponding concave portion such as the concave holding portion 24 (or 25).

The material for the

vibration dampers

50 and 51 is not limited to the spring, but may be any material capable of absorbing vibration. For the vibration damper, any elastic material (e.g., sponge, resin) or any other material (e.g., glue) other than a spring may be used.

In the present embodiment, as described above, the inner case 32 accommodating the speaker unit 30 is attached to the outer case 2 and the

vibration dampers

50 and 51 are disposed between the inner case 32 and the outer case 2 such that the inner case 32 is separated from the outer case 2. Thus, when the speaker unit 30 generates sound, the vibration generated by the speaker unit will be absorbed by the

vibration dampers

50 and 51. Therefore, in the case where the sound output device 1 is attached to the object 7 (e.g., an automobile interior), the vibration (vibration generated by the speaker unit 30) transmitted to the object 7 is reduced, and therefore, the noise generated by the vibration can be reduced. Further, since the vibration transmitted to the object 7 is reduced, noise generated due to the vibration and then transmitted to the microphone 4 adjacent to the speaker unit 30 is reduced. Therefore, deterioration of the echo cancellation performance can be reduced. Further, in the present embodiment, the vibration damper 50 is disposed on the same side as the sound emitting portion 30 a. In this way, a more significant advantageous effect is achieved in terms of reducing vibration and thus reducing noise, as compared with the case where the vibration damper 51 is disposed only on the rear portion 30b side.

In the present embodiment, a plurality of openings 21 are formed in the side plate 2c of the outer box 2, and an opening 22 for exposing a part of the back 32b of the inner box 32 is formed in the back plate 2b of the outer box 2. Thus, even when the inner case 32 is distorted by the generation of sound, the pressure of the space between the inner case 32 and the outer case 2 is not increased, and therefore, unnecessary deformation of the outer case 2 can be suppressed.

Modification of the first embodiment

The sound output device 1 according to the first embodiment may be modified in various ways.

Modification mode 1

Fig. 8A and 8B show an example of mode 1. As shown in the drawing, the inner box 32 according to mode 1 has an opening 36 corresponding to the shape of the rear part 30b in the back part 32b (the second part of the cabinet) on the rear part 30b side of the speaker unit 30 in addition to an opening 35 (an opening in the first part of the cabinet) exposing the sound-emitting part 30a of the speaker unit 30.

Fig. 8A is a modification of fig. 7A. In the example shown in fig. 8A, similarly to the inner case 32 shown in fig. 7A, the inner case 32 has a box-like portion and a first cylindrical portion (included in the back portion 32b of the inner case 32) protruding from the box-like portion toward the positive Z-axis direction. In the example shown in fig. 8A, an opening 36 is formed in the bottom of the cylindrical portion. As shown in the drawing, in the center axis direction of the speaker unit 30, neither the length d1 of the outer box 2 nor the length d2 of the inner box 32 is larger than the length d3 of the speaker unit 30. More specifically, the outer surface of the front plate 2a of the outer box 2 and the outer surface of the front portion 32a of the inner box 32 are both substantially flush with the sound emission surface. The outer surface of the back plate 2b of the outer box 2 and the outer surface of the back portion 32b of the inner box 32 (more precisely, the bottom of the cylindrical portion) are both substantially flush with the end surface of the rear portion 30b of the speaker unit 30 (the back surface of the speaker unit 30). In other words, the length of the sound output device 1 is substantially equal to the length d3 of the speaker unit 30 in the center axis direction of the speaker unit 30.

In the example shown in fig. 8A, similar to the example shown in fig. 7A, the vibration damper 51 is provided between the back portion 32b of the inner box 32 (more precisely, a box-shaped portion corresponding to the back portion 32 b) and the back plate 2b of the outer box 2. However, in the example shown in fig. 8A, the vibration damper 50 is not provided on the sound emitting portion 30a side. In addition, the gap between the front plate 2a of the outer box 2 (the first part of the attachment member) and the front portion 32a of the inner box 32 (the first part of the cabinet) is sealed with the sealing member 80.

The sealing member 80 is a member that reduces transmission of sound. For example, grease, rubber, or a closed-cell sponge may be used as the sealing member 80.

Fig. 8B is a modification of fig. 7B. In the example shown in fig. 8B, similar to the inner case 32 described with reference to fig. 7B, the inner case 32 has a box-shaped portion, a first cylindrical portion (included in the back portion 32B of the inner case 32) protruding from the box-shaped portion toward the positive Z-axis direction, and a second cylindrical portion (included in the front portion 32a of the inner case 32) protruding from the box-shaped portion toward the negative Z-axis direction. However, in the example shown in fig. 8B, the first cylindrical portion does not have a bottom. In other words, in fig. 7B, an exemplary configuration is shown in which the end portion (bottom portion) on the Z-axis positive side of the cylindrical portion is closed. However, in the configuration shown in fig. 8B, the bottom of the cylindrical portion is opened by the opening 36. In fig. 8B, similarly to the example shown in fig. 8A, in the center axis direction of the speaker unit 30, neither the length d1 of the outer box 2 nor the length d2 of the inner box 32 is larger than the length d3 of the speaker unit 30. In addition, the length of the sound output device 1 is substantially equal to the length d3 of the speaker unit 30 in the center axis direction of the speaker unit 30. More specifically, in the center axis direction of the speaker unit 30, the outer surface of the front plate 2a of the outer box 2 and the upper end surface of the second cylindrical portion of the front part 32a of the inner box 32 are both substantially flush with the sound emission surface, and the outer surface of the back plate 2b of the outer box 2 and the lower end surface of the first cylindrical portion of the back part 32b of the inner box 32 are both substantially flush with the back surface of the speaker unit 30.

In fig. 8B, similar to the exemplary configuration shown in fig. 7B, the vibration damper 50 is disposed between the front plate 2a of the outer box 2 and the front portion 32a of the inner box 32 (more precisely, the box-shaped portion corresponding to the front portion 32 a), and the vibration damper 51 is disposed between the back plate 2B of the outer box 2 and the back portion 32B of the inner box 32 (more precisely, the box-shaped portion corresponding to the back portion 32B). The gap between the front plate 2a of the outer box 2 (the first part of the attachment member) and the front portion 32a of the inner box 32 (the first part of the cabinet) (more precisely, the second cylindrical part of the front portion 32 a) is sealed using the sealing member 80. The gap between the back plate 2b of the outer box 2 (the second portion of the attachment member) and the back 32b of the inner box 32 (the second portion of the cabinet) (more precisely, the first cylindrical portion of the back 32 b) is sealed using the sealing member 80.

In the above configuration, advantageous effects similar to those achieved in the first embodiment are achieved. In the configuration in which the inner case 32 is sealed, an air spring will be generated inside the inner case 32 due to the compression of air, possibly hindering the vibration of the sound-emitting portion 30a (e.g., diaphragm) of the speaker unit 30. In the configuration according to the present mode, since the inner case 32 has the opening 36, an air spring is not generated between the speaker unit 30 and the inner case 32. Therefore, the sound emitting portion 30a can be sufficiently vibrated, which enables sounds having high sound pressure to be easily emitted through the speaker unit 30. Further, in the configuration according to the present mode, the sound output device 1 is configured such that: in the central axis direction of the speaker unit 30, each of the length d1 of the outer box 2 and the length d2 of the inner box 32 is equal to or smaller than the length d3 of the speaker unit 30. Therefore, the size of the sound output device 1 according to the present mode is reduced as compared with a configuration (for example, any one of the exemplary configurations shown in fig. 7A and 7B) in which at least one of the length d1 of the outer box 2 and the length d2 of the inner box 32 is larger than the length of the speaker unit. Further, since the sealing member 80 seals the gap between the outer case 2 and the inner case 32, the sound emitted from the rear portion 30b of the speaker unit 30, passing through the space between the outer case 2 and the inner case 32, and then being transmitted to the sound-emitting portion 30a side of the speaker unit 30 is reduced. In other words, the wraparound of the sound emitted from the rear portion 30b of the speaker unit 30 to the sound emitting portion 30a side is reduced.

Fig. 8B shows an example in which each of the gap between the front plate 2a of the outer box 2 and the front portion 32a of the inner box 32 and the gap between the back plate 2B of the outer box 2 and the back portion 32B of the inner box 32 is sealed with the sealing member 80. Alternatively, only the gap between the front plate 2a of the outer box 2 and the front portion 32a of the inner box 32 may be sealed, or only the gap between the back plate 2b of the outer box 2 and the back portion 32b of the inner box 32 may be sealed. From the viewpoint of reducing the turning of the sound reaching the sound emitting portion 30a side, it is preferable to seal the gap between the front plate 2a of the outer case 2 and the front portion 32a of the inner case 32 on the sound emitting portion 30a side.

Modification mode 2

In the example of mode 2 shown in fig. 9A and 9B, the back portion 32B (second portion of the chassis) of the inner case 32 described in the example of the first embodiment is omitted, and the inner case 32 has a structure that is open on the Z-axis positive side. In other words, the inner case 32 has a box-shaped portion without a bottom portion and a cylindrical portion protruding from the box-shaped portion toward the Z-axis negative direction. Similarly to mode 1, in the example of mode 2, in the central axis direction of the speaker unit 30, neither the length d1 of the outer box 2 nor the length d2 of the inner box 32 is greater than the length d3 of the speaker unit 30, and the length of the sound output device 1 is substantially equal to the length d3 of the speaker unit 30. In both examples, the gap between the front plate 2a of the outer box 2 (the first part of the attachment member) and the front 32a of the inner box 32 (the first part of the cabinet) is sealed using the sealing member 80.

In the example shown in fig. 9A, the outer surface of the front plate 2a of the outer cabinet 2 and the upper end surface of the cylindrical portion of the front portion 32a of the inner cabinet 32 are both substantially flush with the sound emission surface in the center axis direction (Z-axis direction) of the speaker unit 30. The outer surface of the back plate 2b of the outer case 2 is substantially flush with the back surface of the speaker unit 30. An end surface (which may be referred to as a rim) of the side portion 32c of the inner case 32 on the rear portion 30b side (the side opposite to the sound-emitting portion 30 a) is located on the Z-axis negative side with respect to the rear portion 30 b. The sound output device 1 in this example has a vibration damper 50 between the front plate 2a of the outer box 2 and the front portion 32a of the inner box 32 (more precisely, a box-like portion corresponding to the front portion 32 a), and has a vibration damper 51 between the back plate 2b of the outer box 2 (the second portion of the attachment member) and the side portion 32c of the inner box 32 (the third portion of the cabinet). More specifically, the vibration dampers 51 are arranged between the back plate 2b of the outer box 2 and the edges of the side portions 32c of the inner box 32.

In the example shown in fig. 9B, the back plate 2B (the second part of the attaching member) of the outer case 2 described in the example of the first embodiment is omitted, and the outer case 2 has a structure opened on the Z-axis positive side. In the center axis direction of the speaker unit 30, the outer surface of the front plate 2a of the outer cabinet 2 and the upper end surface of the cylindrical portion of the front portion 32a of the inner cabinet 32 are both substantially flush with the sound emission surface. The end surface of the side plate 2c of the outer case 2 on the rear 30b side and the end surface of the side part 32c of the inner case 32 on the rear 30b side are substantially flush with the back surface of the speaker unit 30. The sound output device 1 in this example includes a vibration damper 50 between the front plate 2a of the outer box 2 and the front portion 32a of the inner box 32 (more precisely, a box-shaped portion corresponding to the front portion 32 a).

In the above configuration, advantageous effects similar to those achieved in the first embodiment are achieved. In addition, since the inner case 32 accommodating the speaker unit 30 does not have the back portion 32b (because the inner case 32 is open on the Z-axis positive side), the speaker unit 30 can easily emit sound having high sound pressure compared to a configuration in which the inner case is sealed.

Further, since the Z-axis positive side of the inner case 32 is open, the sound output device 1 may be configured such that: in the central axis direction of the speaker unit 30, each of the length d1 of the outer box 2 and the length d2 of the inner box 32 is equal to or smaller than the length d3 of the speaker unit 30. Therefore, the size of the sound output device 1 in this mode is reduced as compared with a configuration (for example, any one of the configurations shown in fig. 7A and 7B) in which at least one of the length d1 of the outer box 2 and the length d2 of the inner box 32 is larger than the length of the speaker unit. Further, since the gap between the front plate 2a of the outer cabinet 2 and the front portion 32a of the inner cabinet 32 is sealed with the sealing member 80, the sound emitted from the rear portion 30b of the speaker unit 30, passing through the space between the outer cabinet 2 and the inner cabinet 32, and being transmitted to the sound-emitting portion 30a side is reduced. In other words, the wraparound of the sound emitted from the rear portion 30b of the speaker unit 30 to the sound-emitting portion 30a side is reduced.

In the example shown in fig. 8A to 9B, the space in the object 7 to which the sound output device 1 is attached can be used as a barrier (enclosure) that reduces the wraparound of the sound emitted from the rear portion 30B of the speaker unit 30 to the sound-emitting portion 30a side (wraparound of the sound passing through the outside of the outer box 2). Here, the object 7 is, for example, an automobile interior, and the space in the object 7 is, for example, a space inside the automobile interior.

Fig. 8A to 9B show an example in which the length d1 of the outer cabinet 2 and the length d2 of the inner cabinet 32 are substantially equal to the length d3 of the speaker unit 30. However, each of the length d1 of the outer case 2 and the length d2 of the inner case 32 may be arbitrarily changed within a range in which the length of the sound output device 1 does not exceed the length d3 of the speaker unit 30.

The inner case 32 may have only the side 32c. In this case, the vibration damper 50 may be disposed between the front plate 2a of the outer box 2 and the end surface (edge) of the side portion 32c of the inner box on the sound-emitting portion 30a side, and the vibration damper 51 may be disposed between the back plate 2b of the outer box 2 and the end surface (edge) of the side portion 32c of the inner box 32 on the rear portion 30b side.

In the case where the sealing member 80 is used to reduce the vibration transmitted from the inner case 32 to the outer case 2, the sound output device 1 may be provided with only the sealing member 80 without providing the

vibration dampers

50 and 51. In other words, the sealing member 80 may be used in place of the vibration dampers (this may also be understood as the

vibration dampers

50 and 51 may be used as the sealing member 80). In this case, the seal member 80 may be disposed at the positions of the

vibration dampers

50 and 51, not at the positions shown in the drawings. In the case where the

vibration dampers

50 and 51 are used as the sealing member 80, in order to reduce the wraparound of the sound emitted from the rear portion 30b of the speaker unit 30 to the sound-emitting portion 30a side, the gaps between the outer case 2 and the inner case 32 (for example, the gap between the front plate 2a and the box-shaped portion corresponding to the front portion 32a, the gap between the back plate 2b and the box-shaped portion corresponding to the back portion 32b, and the like) are sealed using the

vibration dampers

50 and 51.

In the above example, the outer box 2 is box-shaped. However, the outer case 2 may have any shape as long as the outer case 2 can be attached to the inner case 32 via the vibration damper. For example, the outer case may be plate-shaped or column-shaped. In the case where the outer case 2 is plate-shaped, the front plate 2a corresponds to a first portion of the attachment member. In the case where the outer case 2 has a columnar shape with a central axis parallel to the Z axis, the face of the column on the sound-emitting portion 30a side corresponds to the front plate 2a (first part of the attaching member), the face of the column on the rear portion 30b side corresponds to the back plate 2b (second part of the attaching member), and the cylindrical part of the column corresponds to the side plate 2c (third part of the attaching member).

Similarly, in the above example, the front portion 32a and the side portions 32c of the inner case 32 are plate-shaped. However, side portion 32c may have any other shape, such as a tubular shape. More specifically, the inner case 32 may have a cylindrical shape with a central axis parallel to the Z-axis. In this case, the face of the column on the side of the sound-emitting portion 30a corresponds to the front portion 32a (first portion of the housing), the face of the column on the side of the rear portion 30b corresponds to the back portion 32b (second portion of the housing), and the cylindrical portion of the column corresponds to the side portion 32c (third portion of the housing).

Second embodiment

A second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to fig. 10 and 11. In each embodiment described below as an example, for elements having the same effects and functions as those in the first embodiment, the same reference numerals as those used in the description of the first embodiment will be used, and detailed description thereof will be omitted as appropriate.

Fig. 10 shows an analysis model of the sound output apparatus 1 according to the second embodiment. Fig. 11 shows an equivalent circuit of the analysis model. The speaker unit 30 includes: a movable portion 301 that emits sound using vibration; an immovable portion 302; and an elastic member 303 that connects the movable portion 301 and the immovable portion 302. The movable portion 301 includes, for example, a diaphragm (sound emitting portion 30 a) and a voice coil that transmits vibration to the diaphragm. The immovable portion 302 includes, for example, a frame that fixes the diaphragm and the voice coil. The elastic member 303 is, for example, a speaker surround connecting the diaphragm and the frame.

As in the analysis model shown in fig. 10, the mass of the movable portion 301 is referred to as Ls, the compliance (compliance) of the air inside the inner box 32 is referred to as Ca, the compliance of the elastic member 303 is referred to as Cs, the total mass of the inner box 32 and the immovable portion 302 is referred to as Lb, and the total resistance component (total resistance component) of the inner box 32 and the immovable portion 302 is referred to as Rb. The acoustic compliance of the vibration damper 50 is referred to as Cb, the total mass of the outer tank 2 and the object 7 (e.g., automobile interior) to which the sound output device 1 is attached is referred to as Lm, the total acoustic compliance of the outer tank 2 and the object 7 is referred to as Cm, and the total resistance component of the outer tank 2 and the object 7 is referred to as Rm.

The sound output apparatus 1 in the present embodiment can be represented as an equivalent circuit shown in fig. 11. In fig. 11, vs represents a force (power) to drive the movable part 301, and Im represents a vibration speed at the outer box 2 and the object 7. In the equivalent circuit shown in fig. 11, the total mass Lb of the inner case 32 and the immovable portion 302 and the acoustic compliance Cb of the vibration damper 50 together form a low-pass filter. The resonance frequency generated by the mass Ls of the movable portion 301, the compliance Cs of the elastic member 303, and the compliance Ca of the air inside the inner case 32 is referred to as f1. The cut-off frequency of the low-pass filter formed by the total mass Lb of the inner case 32 and the immovable portion 302 and the acoustic compliance Cb of the vibration damper 50 is referred to as f2. In the present embodiment, the resonance frequency f1 and the cutoff frequency f2 are designed to satisfy the relation f2< f1.

According to the present embodiment, the vibration transmitted to the speaker unit 30 (movable part 301) of the outer cabinet 2 is reduced by the low-pass filter formed by the total mass Lb of the inner cabinet 32 and the immovable part 302 and the acoustic compliance Cb of the vibration damper 50. Therefore, the vibration transmitted to the speaker unit 30 around the microphone 4 is reduced. Further, since noise generated by vibration is reduced (i.e., noise transmitted to the microphone 4 is reduced), echo cancellation performance can be improved.

Third embodiment

Next, a third embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

Fig. 12A is an exploded view of a section of the sound output device 1 according to the third embodiment in the Z axis. Fig. 12B is a sectional view of the sound output apparatus 1 of the third embodiment. As shown in fig. 12A, in the present embodiment, two types of springs are used as the vibration dampers provided on the front portion 32A side of the inner case 32. In other words, in addition to the spring member serving as the vibration damper 50 in the first embodiment, another spring member (vibration damper 52) is provided. The vibration damper 52 has a spring constant larger than that of the spring member serving as the vibration damper 50. On the inner surface of the front plate 2a of the outer box 2 (the surface on the front portion 32a side of the inner box 32), holding portions 26 are formed, and one end of each vibration damper 52 is attached to a corresponding one of the plurality of holding portions 26. More specifically, one end of the vibration damper 52 is inserted into a corresponding recess such as the concave holding portion 26.

As shown in fig. 12B, the other end of the vibration damper 52 does not contact the front portion 32a of the inner case 32 under normal conditions. When excessive acceleration due to vibration is applied to the inner case 32, the other end of the vibration damper 52 comes into contact with the front portion 32a of the inner case 32. In this way, in the case where the vibration damper 52 is provided, it is possible to prevent a collision between the inner case 32 and the front plate 2a of the outer case 2, which may be caused when the inner case 32 vibrates.

As described above, in the present embodiment, two types of spring members (vibration dampers) having different spring constants are provided on the front portion 32a of the inner case 32. Therefore, even when an excessive acceleration is applied to the inner box 32, a collision between the inner box 32 and the outer box 2 can be prevented, and therefore, noise caused by such a collision can be reduced.

Instead of using two types of spring members, a nonlinear spring may be used as the vibration damper 50. For example, springs may be used: it is made of a spring member that is coiled in a conical shape, and has a spring constant that becomes larger as the load increases (a hardened spring). Alternatively, a non-linear spring may be used: made with spring components coiled into a cylindrical shape with varying turn density. In the case of using such a non-linear spring, when an excessive acceleration is applied to the inner case 32, the spring constant increases before the inner case 32 comes into contact with the inner surface of the outer case 2, and thus a collision between the inner case 32 and the outer case 2 will be prevented. As a result, it is possible to reduce noise that may be generated by such a collision between the inner tank 32 and the outer tank 2.

In addition, in the present embodiment, the material of the vibration damper for absorbing vibration may be an elastic material other than a spring (e.g., resin or sponge having variable hardness), or any material other than an elastic material (e.g., glue). Alternatively, an elastic material and other materials (for example, a spring and a sponge, a sponge and a glue) may be used in appropriate combination.

Fourth embodiment

Next, a fourth embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to fig. 13 and 14.

In the first to third embodiments, examples of such are shown: the sound output device 1 includes an inner case 32 (housing) accommodating a speaker unit 30, and

vibration dampers

50 and 51 are arranged between the outer case 2 (attachment member) and the inner case 32. In contrast, the sound output apparatus 1 according to the fourth embodiment does not include the inner box 32, and the vibration damper 50 is disposed between the attachment member and the speaker unit 30.

Fig. 13 is a front view of a schematic configuration of a sound output device 1 of the fourth embodiment. The sound output device 1 of the fourth embodiment includes a plate-like member 102 (attachment member) and a speaker unit 30. In the above-described embodiment, an example in which the box-shaped outer box 2 is used as the attachment member is shown. As shown in fig. 13, in the example of the present embodiment, a plate-like member 102 that is a substitute for the outer box 2 is used as the attachment member (this may also be understood as a configuration in which the outer box 2 has only the front plate 2 a).

The plate-like member 102 of the present embodiment has a substantially rectangular shape. As shown in fig. 13, the plate-like member 102 is on the Z-axis negative side with respect to the speaker unit 30, and is substantially parallel to the sound emission surface. In other words, the plate-like member 102 corresponds to a portion of the attachment member on the sound-emitting portion 30a side (first portion of the attachment member). The plate like member 102 may also be understood as an attachment member having only a first portion. In the plate-like member 102, an opening 120 (shown by a broken line in fig. 13) is formed that exposes the sound-emitting portion 30a of the speaker unit 30 and corresponds to the shape of the sound-emitting portion 30 a. Holding portions 24 each having, for example, a concave shape are formed on four corners of the inner surface (the surface on the speaker unit 30 side) of the plate-like member 102.

The speaker unit 30 includes a sound emitting portion 30a that is a portion (for example, a diaphragm) that vibrates in accordance with an audio signal to generate sound, and a frame 71 that fixes the sound emitting portion 30a so that the sound emitting portion 30a can vibrate. The frame 71 has: an accommodating portion 71a that accommodates the sound emitting portion 30a (in fig. 13, the position of the sound emitting portion 30a is shown in broken lines); and a substantially rectangular plate-like portion 71b substantially parallel to the sound emission surface. As shown in fig. 13, the center axis of the accommodating portion 71a of the present embodiment is parallel to the Z axis, and the accommodating portion 71a of the present embodiment has a truncated cone shape expanding toward the negative direction of the Z axis (the direction toward the sound emission surface). The plate-like portion 71b of the frame 71 has an opening 72 (shown by a broken line in fig. 13) that exposes the sound-emitting portion 30 a. The plate-like portion 71b is disposed on the Z-axis negative side (plate-like member 102 side) with respect to the accommodating portion 71 a. A holding portion 73, for example, protruding from the surface of the plate-like portion 71b on the plate-like member 102 side is formed on the surface.

Fig. 14 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a cross section of the sound output device 1 when the sound output device 1 is viewed from the positive Y-axis side. Details of the holding

portions

24 and 73 and the speaker unit 30 such as the frame 71 are omitted in fig. 14 for the sake of brevity. This simplified diagram also applies to fig. 16 and 17 which will be described later.

As shown in fig. 13 and 14, the vibration damper 50 (partition member) is disposed between the plate-like member 102 and the speaker unit 30. The vibration damper 50 is disposed between the plate-shaped member 102 and the speaker unit 30 so as to separate the plate-shaped member 102 from the speaker unit 30 to absorb vibration of the speaker unit 30. Similarly to the above-described embodiment, in the present embodiment, a coil spring member is used as an example of the vibration damper 50. One end of the vibration damper 50 is attached to the holding portion 24 formed on the plate-like member 102, and the other end of the vibration damper 50 is attached to the holding portion 73 formed on the speaker unit 30 (plate-like portion 71 b). More specifically, the holding portion 73, for example, protruding from the surface, is inserted into one end of the spring member, and the other end of the spring member is inserted into the recess of the concave holding portion 24, for example. In the present embodiment, the vibration damper 50 is also used to fix the speaker unit 30 to the plate-like member 102.

Hereinafter, the description of the holding portions (24 and 73) may be omitted for the sake of brevity. For example, the description that "the vibration damper 50 is disposed between the plate-like member 102 and the speaker unit 30" means "the vibration damper 50 is disposed between the holding portion 24 on the plate-like member 102 and the holding portion 73 on the speaker unit 30".

A sealing member 80 is provided between the plate-like member 102 and the speaker unit 30 (more precisely, the plate-like portion 71b of the frame 71 of the speaker unit 30). The sealing member 80 seals a gap between the peripheral edge portion of the opening 120 in the plate-like member 102 and the peripheral edge portion of the sound emitting portion 30a (more precisely, the peripheral edge portion of the opening 72 in the plate-like portion 71 b). More specifically, the seal member 80 is a tubular member disposed between the plate-like member 102 and the plate-like portion 71 b. One end of the seal member 80 is attached to the peripheral edge portion of the opening 120 in the plate-like member 102, and the other end of the seal member 80 is attached to the peripheral edge portion of the opening 72 in the plate-like portion 71 b. The opening 72 in the plate-like portion 71b and the opening 120 in the plate-like member 102 communicate with each other via a space inside the seal member 80. Therefore, the sound generated by the sound generating portion 30a is emitted to the outside space through the opening 72 in the plate-like portion 71b, the space inside the sealing member 80, and the opening 120 in the plate-like member 102. In other words, the sealing member 80 isolates the space extending from the opening 72 in the plate-like portion 71b to the opening 120 in the plate-like member 102 from the external space.

The sealing member 80 is a member that reduces transmission of sound, and in the present embodiment, a rubber member is used as an example of the sealing member 80.

As shown in fig. 14, the sound output device 1 is attached to an arbitrarily selected object 7 such as an automobile interior. More specifically, the sound output device 1 is attached to the automobile interior such that the outer surface (the surface opposite to the speaker unit 30 side) of the plate-like member 102 formed with the opening 120 faces the back side of the interior. Thus, the sound emitting portion 30a of the speaker unit 30 faces the inside of the vehicle. In other words, the plate-like member 102 functions as an attachment member that attaches the speaker unit 30 to the object 7. The object 7 may be, for example, a ceiling of an interior of a car (e.g., a portion near an interior light and/or a map light), an instrument panel, or a door.

For the sake of simplicity, only the portion of the object 7 to which the sound output device 1 is attached is shown in fig. 14. This simplified illustration also applies to fig. 16 and 17.

In the present embodiment, as described above, the speaker unit 30 is attached to the plate-like member 102 (attachment member), and the vibration damper 50 (separation member) is disposed between the speaker unit 30 and the plate-like member 102 to separate the speaker unit 30 from the plate-like member 102. Thus, when the speaker unit 30 generates sound, vibration generated by the speaker unit 30 is absorbed by the vibration damper 50. Therefore, in the case of attaching the sound output device 1 to the object 7 (e.g., an automobile interior), the vibration transmitted to the object 7 via the plate-like member 102 (the vibration generated by the speaker unit 30) is reduced, and therefore, the noise caused by the vibration can be reduced. Further, since the seal member 80 seals the gap between the peripheral edge portion of the opening 120 in the plate-like member 102 and the peripheral edge portion of the sound-emitting portion 30a, the sound emitted from the rear portion 30b of the speaker unit 30 and transmitted to the sound-emitting portion 30a side is reduced. That is, the sound reaching the sound emitting portion 30a side from the rear portion 30b of the speaker unit 30 is reduced in the wraparound. In other words, in terms of reducing the wraparound of such sound, a function similar to that of the inner tank 32 in the first to third embodiments is achieved by the seal member 80, thereby achieving similar advantageous effects.

The sound output device 1 of the present embodiment does not include a microphone. In the case where a microphone is provided, the microphone may be provided near the speaker unit 30. In the configuration of the present embodiment, the vibration transmitted to the object 7 is reduced, and therefore, the noise caused by the vibration and transmitted to the microphone located near the speaker unit 30 is also reduced. Therefore, in the present embodiment, in addition to the above-described advantageous effects, an advantageous effect of reducing the deterioration of the echo cancellation performance is achieved.

In the present embodiment, an exemplary configuration in which the material for the vibration damper 50 is a spring is described. However, the material for the vibration damper 50 is not limited to the spring, but may be any material that can absorb vibration. The material for the vibration damper 50 may be any elastic material (e.g., sponge, resin) or any other material (e.g., glue) other than a spring.

In the above exemplary configuration, the seal member 80 is provided between the peripheral edge portion of the opening 120 in the plate-like member 102 and the peripheral edge portion of the sound-emitting portion 30 a. However, the sealing member 80 may be provided at any position capable of reducing the sound that is emitted from the rear portion 30b and then recoils to the sound emitting portion 30a side. In the example shown in fig. 13, the seal member 80 is arranged on the center axis side of the speaker unit 30 with respect to the vibration damper 50 in the X axis (i.e., arranged on the inner side with respect to the vibration damper 50). However, the seal member 80 may also be arranged farther from the center axis than the vibration damper 50 (i.e., arranged on the outer side with respect to the vibration damper 50). In fig. 13 and 14, an example is shown in which the attaching member (plate-like member 102) is plate-like. However, the attachment member may also have a front panel 2a and a side panel 2c, such as those described in the first embodiment. In this case, the sealing member 80 may be provided between the side plate 2c and the speaker unit 30 (e.g., the plate-like portion 71b of the frame 71).

In the above description, an example of the plate-like portion 71b having a substantially rectangular shape is described. However, the plate-like portion 71b may also have, for example, a circular shape or any other shape. In addition, the surface of the plate-like portion 71b is not necessarily flat.

Similarly, in the above description, an example of the accommodating portion 71a having a truncated cone shape is described. However, the accommodating portion 71a may also have a truncated quadrangular pyramid shape, a rectangular parallelepiped shape, or any other shape.

In the above example, the vibration damper 50 is used to fix the speaker unit 30 to the plate-like member 102. Alternatively, the sealing member 80 may fix the speaker unit 30 to the plate-like member 102. Alternatively, any other member may fix the speaker unit 30 to the plate-like member 102 as long as the function of reducing the vibration transmitted to the object 7 is not impaired.

Modification of the fourth embodiment

The sound output apparatus 1 according to the fourth embodiment may be modified in various ways. Two or more modes arbitrarily selected from the modes described below may be appropriately combined as long as the modes do not conflict with each other.

Modification mode 1

In the fourth embodiment, an exemplary configuration in which the material for the seal member 80 is rubber is described. However, the material for the sealing member 80 may be any other material that reduces transmission of sound, such as grease or a closed cell sponge.

Fig. 15 shows a schematic configuration of the sound output device 1 according to mode 1. In mode 1, grease is used as the sealing member 80. An inner cylinder 401 and an outer cylinder 402 having an inner diameter larger than an outer diameter of the inner cylinder 401 are concentrically formed on a peripheral edge portion of the opening 120 on the surface of the plate-like member 102 on the speaker unit 30 side. On the surface of the plate-like portion 71b of the speaker unit 30 on the plate-like member 102 side, a cylindrical portion 501 is formed concentrically on the peripheral edge portion of the opening 72. The inner diameter of the cylindrical portion 501 is larger than the outer diameter of the inner cylinder 401, and the outer diameter of the cylindrical portion 501 is smaller than the inner diameter of the outer cylinder 402. Each of the inner cylinder 401, the outer cylinder 402, and the cylindrical portion 501 has a length (height) in the Z-axis direction smaller than that of a partition member arranged between the plate-like member 102 and the speaker unit 30.

As shown in the drawing, in a state where the sound output device 1 has been assembled, a cylindrical portion 501 is provided between the inner cylinder 401 and the outer cylinder 402. In other words, the inner cylinder 401 and the outer cylinder 402 are spaced apart from each other to such an extent that the cylindrical portion 501 can be provided therebetween. The space between the inner cylinder 401 and the outer cylinder 402 is filled with grease (sealing member 80) to seal the gap between the peripheral edge portion of the opening 120 in the plate-like member 102 and the peripheral edge portion of the sound emitting portion 30a (more precisely, the peripheral edge portion of the opening 72 in the plate-like portion 71 b). For example, the sound output device 1 may be assembled by pushing the cylindrical portion 501 into the space between the inner cylinder 401 and the outer cylinder 402 after grease (seal member 80) has been injected into the space between the inner cylinder 401 and the outer cylinder 402.

In the above configuration, advantageous effects similar to those in the fourth embodiment are achieved.

Modification mode 2

Fig. 16 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a cross section of the sound output device 1 when the sound output device 1 according to mode 2 is viewed from the positive Y-axis side. As shown in the drawing, the sound output device 1 according to mode 2 includes a vibration damper 53 (partition member) instead of the vibration damper 50 and the seal member 80. The vibration damper 53 functions as the vibration damper 50 and the seal member 80 described in the fourth embodiment. The vibration damper 53 is disposed between the plate-like member 102 and the speaker unit 30, thereby separating the plate-like member 102 from the speaker unit 30 to absorb vibration of the speaker unit 30. The vibration damper 53 is a member that reduces transmission of sound and seals a gap between the plate-like member 102 and the speaker unit 30. More specifically, the vibration damper 53 seals a gap between the peripheral edge portion of the opening 120 in the plate-like member 102 and the peripheral edge portion of the sound-emitting portion 30a of the speaker unit 30 (more precisely, the peripheral edge portion of the opening 72 of the plate-like portion 71 b). The vibration damper 53 is, for example, a rubber member.

In mode 2, the holding portion 24 is not essential to the plate-like member 102, and the holding portion 73 is not essential to the speaker unit 30.

In addition, in the above configuration, advantageous effects similar to those in the fourth embodiment are achieved. When the speaker unit 30 emits sound, vibration generated by the speaker unit 30 is absorbed by the vibration damper 53. Therefore, in the case where the sound output device 1 is attached to the object 7 (an example of which is an automobile interior), the vibration (the vibration generated by the speaker unit 30) transmitted to the object 7 via the plate-like member 102 is reduced, and therefore, the noise caused by the vibration can be reduced. Further, since the vibration damper 53 seals the gap between the peripheral edge portion of the opening 120 in the plate-like member 102 and the peripheral edge portion of the sound emitting portion 30a, the sound emitted from the rear portion 30b of the speaker unit 30 and then transmitted to the sound emitting portion 30a side of the speaker unit 30 is reduced. That is, the sound reaching the sound emitting portion 30a side from the rear portion 30b of the speaker unit 30 is reduced in the wraparound. Further, since the vibration damper 53 is used as the vibration damper 50 and the sealing member 80, the number of parts for manufacturing the sound output device 1 is reduced as compared with a configuration in which the vibration damper 50 and the sealing member 80 are provided separately, and thereby, the man-hours required for manufacturing the sound output device 1 can be reduced. As a result, the cost of manufacturing the sound output device 1 can be reduced.

Modification mode 3

Fig. 17 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a cross section of the sound output device 1 when the sound output device 1 according to mode 3 is viewed from the positive Y-axis side. As shown in the drawings, the sound output device 1 according to mode 3 includes a speaker unit 30, a vibration damper 50 (partition member), and a seal member 80, similarly to the sound output device 1 according to the fourth embodiment. However, the sound output device 1 according to mode 3 does not include the plate-like member 102 (attachment member). In mode 3, the vibration damper 50 is disposed between the object 7 to which the sound output device 1 is attached and the speaker unit 30, thereby separating the object 7 from the speaker unit 30 to absorb the vibration of the speaker unit 30. The sealing member 80 seals a gap between the object 7 (more precisely, a peripheral portion of an opening provided in the object 7 for allowing the sound generated by the sound generating portion 30a to pass therethrough) and the speaker unit 30 (more precisely, a peripheral portion of the opening 72 in the plate-like portion 71 b).

In the above configuration, advantageous effects similar to those in the fourth embodiment are achieved. When the speaker unit 30 emits sound, vibration generated by the speaker unit 30 is absorbed by the vibration damper 50. Therefore, in the case where the sound output device 1 is attached to the object 7 (an example of which is an automobile interior), the vibration (the vibration generated by the speaker unit 30) transmitted to the object 7 via the vibration damper 50 is reduced, and therefore, the noise caused by the vibration can be reduced. Further, since the sealing member 80 seals the gap between the opening in the object 7 and the peripheral edge portion of the sound emitting portion 30a, the sound emitted from the rear portion 30b of the speaker unit 30 and then transmitted to the sound emitting portion 30a side of the speaker unit 30 is reduced. That is, the wraparound of the sound emitted from the rear portion 30b of the speaker unit 30 to the sound-emitting portion 30a side is reduced. Further, in the configuration of mode 3, the speaker unit 30 is attached to the object 7 without the presence of the attachment member (the plate-like member 102) arranged between the speaker unit 30 and the object 7. Therefore, the number of components used to manufacture the sound output device 1 is reduced as compared with a configuration in which an attachment member is provided, and thereby, the man-hours required for manufacturing the sound output device 1 can be reduced. As a result, the cost of manufacturing the sound output device 1 can be reduced.

In the fourth embodiment and its modified example modes, the space in the object 7 to which the sound output device 1 is attached can be used as a barrier that reduces the backwinding of the sound emitted from the rear portion 30b of the speaker unit 30 to the sound-emitting portion 30a side. Here, the object 7 is, for example, an automobile interior, and the space in the object 7 is, for example, a space inside the automobile interior.

Description of reference numerals

1\8230asound output device; 2 8230; outer case (attachment member); 2a 8230; front panel of outer box (first part of attachment member); 2b 82308230; a back panel of the outer case (second portion of the attachment member); 2c 8230a 8230; side panels of the outer box (third portion of the attachment member); 3\8230aloudspeaker; 4\8230, 8230and microphone; 7, 8230, 8230and an object; 20. 21, 22, 823060, 8230and an opening; 23\8230, 8230a concave part; 24. 25, 26, 8230, 8230and a holding part; 30, 8230, 8230and a speaker unit; 30a 8230, a sounding part of a speaker unit; 30b 8230, 8230and the rear part of the speaker unit; 30c (8230) \ 8230, and the side wall of the speaker unit; 32 \8230, 8230, inner box (casing); 32a 8230, the front part of the inner box (the first part of the shell); 32b 8230, the back of the inner box (the second part of the shell); 32c (8230); 8230; the side of the inner case (the third portion of the cabinet); 33. 34\8230, 8230and a holding part; 35. 36, 8230, 8230and an opening; 50. 51 \ 8230, vibration damper (partition member); 52 8230, vibration damper (another spring component); 53 \ 8230, vibration damper (partition member); 60\8230, 8230and signal processing IC;71 8230while the frame; 71a 8230, a receiving portion of the frame; 71b 8230, a plate-like portion of the frame; 72, 8230, 8230and an opening; 73\8230, 8230and a holding part; 80, 8230, 8230and a sealing part; 102, 8230, 8230a plate-like member (attachment member); 120, 8230, 8230and an opening; 301 8230, a movable portion of a speaker unit; 302\8230, 8230, an immovable part of a speaker unit; 303\8230, 8230an elastic member of a speaker unit; 401 \ 8230, 8230and an inner barrel; 402, 8230, 8230and outer barrel; 501, 8230, 8230and a cylindrical part.

Claims

1. A sound output device attachable to an object, the object including a first opening that allows sound to be emitted, the sound output device comprising:

a speaker unit having a sound emitting portion;

an attachment member by which the speaker unit is attached to the object; and

at least one partition member including a spring configured to absorb vibration of the speaker unit, the at least one partition member being disposed between the speaker unit and the attachment member to partition the speaker unit from the attachment member;

wherein the attachment member has a first portion on the sound-emitting portion side of the speaker unit,

the first portion of the attachment member has a second opening corresponding to the sound emitting portion,

one end of the at least one partition member is attached to the speaker unit, and the other end of the at least one partition member is attached to the attachment member, and

the first portion of the attachment member is configured to be attached to the object, the second opening is aligned with the first opening in a state where the sound output device is attached to the object to allow sound to be emitted to the outside of the object through the second opening and the first opening in this order,

wherein the sound output device further includes a sealing member provided between the speaker unit and the attachment member to reduce sound emitted from a side of the speaker unit opposite to the sound-emitting portion and transmitted to the sound-emitting portion side.

2. The sound output device according to claim 1, wherein:

the at least one partition member reduces sound emitted from a side of the speaker unit opposite to the sound emitting portion and transmitted to the sound emitting portion side.